1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capillary array electrophoresis apparatus and a method of separating and analyzing specimen which can be used for separating and analyzing specimen such as DNA and protein.
2. Conventional Art
An application technology in which an array is constituted by combining a plurality of capillaries, an electrophoresis medium and a sample to be separated or analyzed are supplied to the respective capillaries and moved therethrough to thereby separate and analyze the object sample is well known, wherein a sample such as DNA and protein marked by a fluorescent material is supplied to the capillaries. Such application technology is, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,366,608, 5,529,679, 5,516,409, 5,730,850, 5,790,727, 5,582,705, 5,439,578 and 5,274,240. In view of a through-put of the separation and analysis, it is much more advantageous to use electrophoresis with multi capillaries rather than electrophoresis with a flat plate gel.
A capillary array electrophoresis apparatus is basically constituted by such as a capillary array, an excitation light system including a laser beam source, a light receiving optical system which detects fluorescence and a voltage application unit which causes electrophoresis. In such capillary array electrophoresis apparatus, the capillary array is constituted by aligning a plurality of capillaries in a plane shape, and a laser beam is irradiated to the capillaries which are filled with a sample (fluorescent sample) marked by a fluorescent material in parallel direction with the capillary aligning direction, then, through the lens action of the capillaries the laser beam is condensed and the laser beam is irradiated to the fluorescent sample in all of the capillaries when the laser beam is irradiated, the fluorescent sample emits fluorescent. Through detection by the light receiving optical system of the fluorescent emitted from the fluorescent sample in a direction substantially perpendicular to the laser beam irradiation direction, the measurement of the sample is performed.
Since time required for electrophoresis, separation and resolution differ depending on molecular weight and molecular structure of the object sample, it is necessary to change the length of electrophoresis passage depending on the object sample. Therefore, it becomes necessary to selectively dispose several kinds of capillary arrays in a space of a thermostatic oven.